Nora "comes to find that the only way to understand the world as something other than a tale of loss is to see it as a tale of change." What do you make of this statement?

At the book's end, the author writes that Nora "comes to find that the only way to understand the world as something other than a tale of loss is to see it as a tale of change." What do you make of this statement?

Understanding the world as a tale of change enables us to accept the reality that nothing in our world is permanent and this includes loss. If we choose not to see the world as constantly changing, we are allowing much suffering to shape our living moment to moment. Seeing the world as a tale of change promotes growth, resilience, and anticipation of what might happen.

While reading this book, I took special notice of this quote "the only way to understand the world as something other than a tale of loss is to see it as a tale of change". We often cannot control what happens in our lives so it seems admirable that to get through one's loss is to adapt to what has occurred. It seems ONE can be angry, bitter, or stuck in the loss or accept it and grow. I agree with Lauriel that events can lead to one's compassion, acceptance, and adaptability. I recognize this is a process and not easy emotionally.

Loss is an emotional shock with short and long term effects; it is easy to be stuck in it. Change does happen, though, if we are open to seeing it, perhaps even nurturing it when the opportunity presents itself. As North Woods demonstrates, life may not necessarily be a beginning and end; it may be more of a continuum. What we can see and experience now may very well be limited because of our human nature, but if life is a continuum, then there is likely more beyond our own points of vision. Change can be many things.

I read that statement a few time to really soak in the message and it is something that I want to remember because I believe it to be true. Before reading this novel, I hadn't thought of it that way.

It is funny but I underlined that sentence in the book and really thought a lot about it these past few weeks. I felt that sentiment was the core of the novel. As other people have already stated, embracing life as a continuum of change gives oneself the ability to cope in a very complex, violent, frightening age. I think that although there were many tragic events in the novel, it was ultimately, hopeful and reassuring.
The message of how we choose to react to change is so important for our health, relationships, sanity. This novel “ holds your hand” as you go through life. I am sure I will reread it.

I truly appreciated this quote. I made a note of it and brought it to the attention of several of my close friends to discuss.
Lauriel said it very well. This quote provides a path to accepting loss as something other than loss. It promotes a change of thinking from the austere - things are always dying, to rather, things are constantly changing. The impermanence is to be expected. When I was quite young, after a series of beloved pets passing away, I remember sobbing to my father,“everything I love dies.” It was easy to feel this way, especially as a child. It never occurred to me then, that everything dies eventually. I could only see it, in my profound sorrow, as an act happening to me and my so loved cat, Guinea pig, and duck.
Loss can refer to death, in the literal sense, but also to the subtle and often unwelcome changes we find ourselves bludgeoned with on a daily basis. The loss of the quiet in your backyard due to an expanding highway. The loss of a nearby good friend due to a job transfer. The loss of a favorite biking or walking path, or the loss of flora and fauna due to development.For example lightning bugs are disappearing due to pesticides, habitat loss and light pollution, and butterflies are disappearing too. Sometimes it seems as if we are experiencing one giant world of loss. Civil discourse, women's rights, the right to read whatever we want. It can truly be a black dog of loss. While I firmly believe many of these changes must be fought against, there are some that must be met with the wisdom of that quote and a deep, deep breath.

I wanted to take the "only" out of Nora's reflection on understanding the world as I believe there are many ways to understand the world, continual change being just one of them. In thinking more about it, the "only" made me feel like a bystander or part of the audience as life moves on. In fact, the adventures of life have so many opportunities for each of us to create change, particularly within ourselves.

What I took from this story is that life goes on with or without you as an individual. I think that statement solidifies it all into one concise idea. I will think of this statement often.

Interesting statement. I didn’t remember it as I read the book. I don’t recall that Nora had a lot of positives in her short life, so maybe that statement was a way to endure, to try to stay positive and enjoy the beauties of nature, how the landscape changes, and all the minutiae of life change, too.

Nora seeing heaven just as a change instead of a loss allowed her to accept. She wasn't ready to die, to lose her life and her living surrounds. Accepting her death as a loss of life would have been hard for her, so just accepting it a change made it more palatable.

And isn't death just a change? From one realm to another? Mortal to ghost? Death is inevitable. Change is a daily factor - death is only one possible change. How do we know it is a loss?